Swept Away
by WickedFan97
Summary: People thought they were the same, but Marissa knew better. Ryan was the fire and Alex was the tide. This is Marissa's thoughts on Ryan and Alex, and how different they truly are. Malex, Past Marissa/Ryan.


Disclaimer: Okay, this is my first Malex fic. It just came to me at 2:00 in the morning last night. Um, I would appreciate if you would read and review. Flames are appreciated, because I want to know what you guys seriously think about it. However, if you flame me about how you hate femslash or you hate Malex because you are a Ryan/Marissa shipper, then they will be either ignored or laughed at. So yeah, enjoy!!

Oh, and I obviously don't own Marissa(Mischa Barton) or Alex(Olivia Wilde). Cause if I did, would I seriously be sitting here writing this right now?

**T.V. Show: The O.C.**

**Pairings: Marissa/Alex, Past Marissa/Ryan**

**Title: Swept Away**

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Once again the silence and darkness overwhelmed her. The moonlight shown through a small area of the window that wasn't completely covered by the curtains. It illuminated a very small part of Marissa Cooper's face. Her eyes regarded the silver rays that peeked through the curtains, her thoughts racing.

It wasn't because she couldn't sleep, it was because she liked the silence.

She liked the moonlight.

She liked the feel of the soft, slender arm wrapped around her waist.

She temporarily calmed her thoughts so she could hear the soft breathing of the young woman lying next to her. She softly ran her hand along the arm wrapped around her waist. She felt the slightest shift from the girl, but then felt her relax again. Marissa gently kissed the forehead of Alex, whose head was nestled between Marissa's shoulder and the nook of her neck. She heard Alex mumble something before burying her head further into her.

Marissa sighed and went back to thinking.

She didn't know why, but the thought of both Ryan and Alex came to her, along with a rush of emotions. Just the brief thought of them and the feelings associated with each made Marissa's thoughts race and gave her the knowledge that she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Marissa sighed again.

Ryan and Alex. Alex and Ryan.

The two were so similiar, yet so different at the same time. Some people think they're exactly the same, but Marissa knows better. People have seen their similiar masks, but Marissa has seen their different hearts. But to most people masks our all that matter. And their masks are almost identical.

The mask was only their shell. But Marissa has seen them without their masks, has seen beyond their shell. Just like they have seen beyond her mask and shell. The shell that exuded lies.

That's all a mask was, Marissa thought, lies that covered the truth of the heart.

Like Ryan and Alex.

Their masks reflected confidence, rebelliousness, and independence. They had masks of fire. Except Alex wasn't fire, Ryan was.

Ryan had a fiery temper, like the roaring flames that sent smoke to cover the sky. He had fists of fury, like the flames that could burn anything in their path. But the fire was like their relationship. It was passionate, but the flame eventually died until it was relit. It was on and off, and Marissa was growing sick of the fire that brought her so much pain.

It then brought Marissa to Alex. Alex wasn't the fire, she was the tide. Alex was strong, like the powerful waves that crashed down on the water. Although Alex herself had a temper, she was able to control it, she let the soft waves put out the fire that threatened to grow. The tide was like their relationship. At times it was weak, at times it was strong, but the tide never stopped. It kept flowing.

Everytime she would see the tide she would smile and think of Alex. She would think of the night they first kissed. The tide had indeed changed that night. Like Alex. Marissa finally saw through her mask of fire, and saw the underlying tides beneath.

For her entire life Marissa had been drawn to the fire. The passionate, adventurous, dangerous fire. But not this time. This time she had been swept away by the tide.

Marissa was tired of getting burnt by the flames, this time she was gonna surf the tide.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, Marissa realized that for the first time in her life...she was happy, and it was time to put the fire out.

It was time to put the fire out, and never relite it again.

**END.**


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